Introduction to a New Adventure

One might wonder about the reasons students choose to study the environment at a school surrounded by a city. But, even in those developed places ecosystems and natural areas can be found everywhere. One of UVM’s beautiful natural areas is that of Centennial Woods, a place named for the longevity of its trees. I decided to choose it as the place where my phenology adventured would be housed, and took a stroll to see if anything would catch my eye.

Walking through the woods, I looked for a spot in a new adventure of phenology. As I walked deeper into the forest, the hardwood and Box Elder trees disappeared, and I came into the beginning of the Eastern White Pine forest of Centennial Woods. When I stopped to take a water break, I noticed light shining through the brush, to the left of the trail. So, being the curious person I am, I went exploring. As I pushed my way through the last young American Crabapples, the forest opened up into a clearing. The space had an old Eastern White Pine in the middle, with what seemed to be Virginia Creeper all over the ground and up the tree trunk. All around the clearing was Eastern White pines of all ages, with some younger understory hardwoods mixed in. The place spoke to me in a way I did not understand. It must of been the feng shui of the trees around the clearing, the nostalgia of the forests of home, or the excitement of being able to experience the battle between the older pine and the vine, that led me to choose the place as my new adventure.